Hello! I am revising this original blog entry from 2014 today, November 9, 2018. Lots going on in the slow fashion, journey to sustainable fashion and a more environmentally aware textile and fashion industry. I found this this article was published on the Mercola website. I firmly believe that it’s really time to look at what we wear, what’s the cost and what changes we are personallywilling to make to lessen the many health and environmental costs that fast fashion contributes to. Time for change.

“Fashion is a force to be reckoned with. It celebrates, provokes, and entertains. And, from April 24th 2014, it’s going to do even more. Because we’re turning fashion into a force for good. On 24th April last year, 1133 people were killed and over 2500 were injured when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Social and environmental catastrophes in our fashion supply chains continue. Fashion Revolution Daysays enough is enough.” I have been a fashion lover from a very young age. I love fashion, textiles, color and style, always have always will. I also am an Earth lover, a self-proclaimed nature freak and lifelong vegetarian. Therefore, what I value, both the Earth and beauty through fashion converge in Eco fashion and sustainability in fashion, from what I wear to what I create as an artist/designer. In one of my previous blog posts, My Manifesta ~ Part I, I muse about my desire to live more minimally, my quest to re-forest my lifestyle through examining what I already have and to commit to lowering my overall consumerism. I took an inventory of what clothes I do have, where it was made, the manufacturer and the fabric. I was not proud nor surprised to say the least. In response, I made some choices and I have maintained my commitment to cease buying clothes for the time being, and when I do, they will be sustainable fashion either created by me or by an eco fashion designer. This feels really good. Did you know that fashion uses more water than any industry other than agriculture. At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. Americans throw away 68 pounds of clothes on average each year, and we only buy 10 pounds of recycled clothes annually. Clothing that ends up in landfills takes a very long time to decompose — about 6 months for a cotton sock, one year for a wool cap, 40-50 years for a leather belt and 50-80 years for a rubber boot. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 11.8 million tons of cloth, textiles and shoes are discarded in the United States each year, ending up in landfills or being incinerated. It’s a very serious issue. And so, I found that like anything in life having to do with change and transformation, awareness is the first step. After the awakening process, then actions can take place and conscious choices can be made. For me, it’s been practical to learn about what I already have, continue to wear it guilt free, but also to stop giving my money or buying into what I no longer value. How we spend our money/resources is a tremendous power we have. It’s a start and the journey is a lifelong one. On Thursday, April 24, there is a global movement happening in honor of the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh with the collapse of the building, and the ever-growing death toll, many articles appeared urging consumers to support ethical fashion as a way to improve working conditions throughout the supply chain. And, on 24th of April each year, Fashion Revolution Day will bring everyone in the fashion value chain together and help to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future. What can we do?

Get involved

The first Fashion Revolution Day is based around the theme ‘Who Made Your Clothes?’

We have lost the connection with the clothes that we wear, so we thought it was important to make this first day about transparency and reconnecting the relationships in the fashion value chain. What is the connection to someone else through your clothes? The farmers do not know where their cotton goes; the producers no longer make entire garments, they are just line workers; and the end consumer rarely knows where their clothes were made.

Be Curious

We need to become more curious about how our clothes are made and who made them.

Look at the labels on your clothes. Where is it from? Who made it?

Find out

Get in contact with brands and ask them ‘Who Made Your Clothes‘, to discover the real people throughout the supply chain.

Send the brand a photo/video of your garment on Facebook/Twitter and ask Who Made Your Clothes? Let us know by tagging it with #InsideOut and @Fash_Rev

Do Something

We want hundreds of thousands of people to take part! Together we can use the power of fashion to catalyse change and reconnect the broken links in the supply chain. In order to raise awareness within the fashion industry and beyond, we want to encourage them to continue to try and make things better.

WATCH The True Cost A Documentary and share the movie with others, now streaming on Netflix. Spread the word!

Stay up-to-date with local news and events through your country page and social media

Get in touch with your Country Coordinator about holding your own event for Fashion Revolution Day!

Tell your friends, family and colleagues about Fashion Revolution Day and get them to wear something inside out

Change the way that we are consumers. I personally have stopped voting with my $ through NOT shopping at many of the stores that are involved in the fast fashion trend. And, like we talked about in the kitchen, I have warmed up to wearing pre-owned clothing- beyond vintage, but newer pieces that are from resale clothing stores- there are a few good ones in LA, where the clothes are fashionable, some basics, and in like-new conditions. The buyers and the parameters for buying for resale are strict and the bar high. This has been really fun. I am excited to participate in the #30wears initiative, where I share that hashtag when in a photo with a piece or pieces of clothing have been worn over and over.

Take care of your clothing, fix it and resell or donate it if you are not using it anymore. Be an active consumer, own your clothing- not just buy it.

Buy clothes that have a minimum impact on the environment. If you can, buy organic cotton, buy less clothing and/or support companies who create textiles and clothing that are more sustainable. Check out The Good Trade website for starters.

Wear it #insideout

Together we can use the power of fashion to catalyse change and reconnect the broken links in the supply chain. Wear your clothes inside-out to help start the beginning of an industry-wide transformation towards a more sustainable future. Show us your inside out clothes on Instagram by tagging it @Fash_Rev and #InsideOut

Today I begin to slowly take on my personal “manifesta”. It is in part inspired by the Mercury Retro Cycle, February 2014, as well as the turn of our annual cycle, and more I am sure!

And, while I am applying this astro cycle’s principles to my practice, (take any word and add the prefix RE) i.e. review, redo, remember, re, re, re…. this whole lifestyle re-vamp started to kick in consciously for me after the turn of the year, Jan. 2014 when I was camping in the jungle off the grid for 1 month…… 🙂 It wasn’t about quantity of time, but the quality~ time spent in reflection, and in forgiveness; a time of healing the heart, the mind and the Spirit in nature. It was a very cathartic transition time for me and now that I am back in my so-called “normal” existence (NOT!), I am in the sensitive integration leg of the journey. This stage takes time, care, attention, love, patience, understanding… because the reality is that my life has changed, I have changed.

What exactly is my Manifesta? It is one way that I am integrating and responding to my inner-world changes and how to interface with the outer world. The overarching themes are very “RE” oriented. Reduce, reuse, recycle, reinvent… basically, less consumption and more creativity with what I already have.

Here’s #1 of my Manifesta:

1. Re-view aspects of lifestyle.
a. What I wear on my body.
-where it was made (country)
-what it is made from (textile)
-brand (that’s a whole other story!)

This is a big one for me. Even to the point of my life’s passion/calling. From an early early age, I have been obsessed with my clothing, with textiles and with putting outfits together! I even won an award in high school for what else, “Clothing”. Yes! So this topic runs deep!

So, one of my recent activities has been (without judgment) to examine at every piece of clothing I have and assess the following: textile, country of manufacture, and company of manufacture. I am keeping a record and the stats are not that startling, yet conclusive to the fact that I am making HUGE changes. 1st choice that I have made is to cease buying any new clothing items. Period. One could call this practice simplifying, yet it is and so much more. It’s also what I like to call the “RE-forestation” of a lifestyle that has lived in an urban region for some time.

My Manifesta envelopes all aspects of my life, from what I value, to how I spend my valuable time, my relationships, my living and “work” environment, and of course, my stuff. We all have our stuff and even after a home relocation in 2012, when I donated much of my stuff, there is still more! The stuff I am referring to now, fits into the childhood, sentimental category. And, at the end of the day, it is still stuff. And, so the process of elimination goes on. All is being put through this ‘RE’ process, the RE-zoning and RE-inventing myself in an ever-changing world stage. One thing I have come to learn is that when the feeling of overwhelm settles in, that’s the sign to eliminate and to simplify, to let go as easily and gracefully as possible whatever is there and to create clean, fresh space.

My Manifesta is an ongoing process and contains many layers. It is a slow, step-by-step, year-long project and focus that I know will yield results and allow me to manifest my dreams.

Thank you for reading and I invite you to share your contributions via comments and connections and would love to hear from you via this blog, my face book page, or email lorien@lorieneck.com.